Ketogenic PCOS Meal Plan Volume 1

Introduction

With the New Year now upon us, you have made 2015 the year where you will finally seize control over your body by shedding the weight that you have always longed to lose. Congratulations on finally making such a fateful decision, as you are already ahead of the majority that just squirm on the fence, fearing the unknown. Virtually all your fears are paper tigers – when you mess up, it’s not failure – it’s feedback. And when you have a plan to adhere to, it’s much easier to avoid these pitfalls.

With that in mind, this first edition in a series of keto diet meal plans will help you get out of neutral after the 4th day of uninspiring food by supplying you with the shopping lists, day by day menus, and the recipes you need to make it happen.

The following plan for December 2014 will get you off to the races with a bewildering array of food designed to show you that there is more variety to this regimen than endless meals of chicken, a pile of spinach and an uninspiring glass of water.

Don’t be frightened by the sheer volume of food proposed, as it will be offset by the simple carb foods and snacks that you will stop purchasing. This month’s plan was designed to showcase a wide slate of dishes, but fans of a simpler meal regimen can slash out half of the proposed dishes and repeat their favorites, so long as you meet the #1 requirement of the ketogenic diet: consumption of less than 20 grams of net carbs per day.

If this is your first time attempting the keto diet and have no clue how to determine this, stay tuned: we will reveal more about this way of life in the pages that follow. Congrats again on choosing a healthier path through the minefield that is the world of modern food … we’re glad to have you on our team!

Adapting to this dietary regimen will have growing pains. Be sure to intake two grams of sodium per day (broth in dishes will remedy this), and consider taking magnesium supplements to alleviate any cramps you may encounter.

Drink lots of water. Have a tall glass at every meal, and have a water bottle with you at all times between them.

The Benefits of the Keto Diet

Initially developed as a way to treat those suffering from epilepsy, the keto diet has been found to be desirable among those looking to shed weight, as its biochemical underpinnings train the body to use fat instead of carbohydrates as its primary fuel source.

As a result of this, the formerly impenetrable fat stores that many have struggled to lose over the years are raided by your body to run its everyday functions, often causing dramatic reductions in weight and BMI at rates that don’t seem real … until you try it for yourself.

Another positive benefit of switching to the keto diet is that it reduces or eliminates the nasty symptoms of Polycystic Overian Syndrome (PCOS). Feeding off of excess free insulin in the bloodstream, the negative effects of PCOS plagues the lives of one out of every ten women in the world today.

Excessive free insulin increases the amount of testosterone in the body, which is a hormone that is behind many of the symptoms associated with PCOS (excessive body hair, acne, thinning hair and conception problems).

By adopting the ketogenic diet, those suffering from PCOS will a massive reduction of the amount of free insulin in their body, as the high amounts of carbs that used to trigger such a huge insulin response (and fan the flames of insulin resistance) will no longer in present.

What’s Allowed on the Keto Diet

On the keto diet, what you eat is vitally important. The following foods will keep you below 20 grams per day…

Here is what’s allowed:

fatty red meats

chicken with the skin left on

fish (but be careful of eating too much, as more than a few servings per week will put you at risk for heavy metal contamination)

offal (organ meat)

eggs

seeds & nuts

most vegetables, except for potatoes

small metered amounts of berries

What’s Banned on the Keto Diet

The keto diet is defined by its exclusion of simple carbs. The following foods are forbidden:

bread and other foods with grains (whole grains are very bit as bad as refined grains … don’t be fooled)

cereal

beans

soda (though diet soda is OK, as it is sweetened by aspartame, not sugar)

anything else with high amounts of carbs (in general, be very skeptical of anything in the aisles of a supermarket … read labels religiously!)

fruit, except for small amounts of berries

milk

30 Day Ketogenic PCOS Meal Plan – December 2014

Week By Week, Day By Day

Before we delve deeply into the keto diet and specific targeted eating strategies based on various needs, we will explore the wide variety of dishes that are possible for those committing to this regimen. While this 30 day plan is a tad ambitious (perfect for those that love to experiment in the kitchen), feel free to cut down and simplify the following layout if you are time constrained and less adventurous when it comes to the culinary arts.

So long as you make sure to keep your net carbs under 20 grams per day (thus keeping your body in ketosis), any modifications you make to the below plan will still achieve the end goals of your new ketogenic way of life.

Week 1

Since you are new to the ketogenic diet, the grocery list this week will pack your car or taxi cab to the gills. If you are feeling the sticker shock, don’t worry, as many of the following items can be bought in bulk, and are non-perishables that will keep in your pantry for a long time once purchased.

This list also assumes that you are starting out with cupboards that are bare, so if you have many of the items on this list, you can cross them out as you move down the page.

Grocery List

Eggs (1 – dozen carton, 1- half-dozen carton)

4 sticks of butter

3 packs of bacon (1 thick cut, 2 normal size)

1 bag of flaxseed meal (1 lb)

1 jar of psyllium husk powder

4 avocados

1 bag of almond flour

6 medium spring onions

1 jar of minced garlic

1 bottle of dried cilantro

1 bottle of dried chives

Colby Jack Cheese

1 bottle of Red Chili Flakes

Box of table salt (like Windsor or whatever brand you like)

Black pepper

1 carton of Coconut Milk

1 bottle of lemon juice

Box of baking powder

1 bottle of Montreal Steak Spice

1 large chicken breast

1 small tomato

Muenster Cheese

1 jar of mayonnaise

20 ounces worth of mushrooms (roughly 20-24, but weigh at the store to be certain)

Week 2

After a relatively calorie rich start to the month, this week’s meals are a bit lighter to unlock the fat-busting properties of caloric restriction. If you find yourself hungry between meals, drink some water to keep those pangs at bay. With time, you’ll get used to the lower caloric and carb amounts.

Your grocery bill will be big again this week, as the process of building an extensive pantry filled with the seasonings and keto-friendly alternative cooking supplies that will replace sugar and starch in your cooking regimen continues.

Don’t worry though, as it will all settle down in the coming weeks as the supplies you’ll buy will be largely limited to perishable fresh food. As for the non-perishables, attempt to buy in bulk as much as possible, as this will save you so much money over time!

Grocery List

bottle of stevia extract

carton of almond milk

bag of unsweetened flaked coconut

Eggs (1 – dozen carton, 1- half-dozen carton)

bag of almonds (at least 150 grams or more)

1 stick of butter

jar of organic peanut butter

bottle of coconut oil

package of raspberries (make there are at least 12 – what you don’t use for your PB & J sandwiches this week, you can use for snacks. Watch your net carbs though, as ten berries contains 1.1g net)

Week 3

With the non-perishables starting to get stocked in your cupboard, the pace of their addition will begin to slow this week. The exploration of the full range of keto cooking continues this week though, so expect to buy different types of meat and veggies in order to understand all the amazing things you can have while on a ketogenic diet.

One thing of note: while balsamic vinegar is used as a flavoring agent in one of the recipes for this week, it is also high in carbs and can throw off your ketogenic state if you drench your meals in it. While it is possible to enjoy some high carb foods in this regimen, developing the self-discipline to limit your doses it is key going forward…

Grocery List

bottle of vanilla extract

bag/bottle of Swerve

2 – dozen egg cartons

1 lemon

small carton of raspberries

4 sticks of butter

6 ounces of brie

pack of mozzarella slices (with at least 16 slices)

small bag/box of basil leaves

4 medium tomatoes

small bottle of balsamic vinegar

1 pack of bacon

20 chicken thighs

2 bags of shredded cheddar cheese

2 bags of spinach

carton of heavy cream

4 packs of cream cheese

box of Carbquik

box of sausage rounds

bag of romaine lettuce (or a head if you feel like chopping it up)

pre-prepared pulled pork (ensure that it has not had sweeteners added to it … read the labels!)

a bundle of fresh cilantro

a red bell pepper

small jar of tomato paste

1 lime

red curry paste

rice wine vinegar

bottle of Five Spice

bottle of Fish Sauce

bottle of mango extract

4 white onions

bottle of dry white wine

2 bulbs of garlic

bottle of tarragon

bottle of Weber Canadian Chicken Seasoning (or any bottle of poultry seasoning will do)

Week 4

This week, most of the items will be of the perishable variety, though there are still some additions to the pantry that will set up in the months ahead. Coconut flour is one of those key planks, and with flavorings and spices like orange extract and sage, you will be able to successfully emulate the eating experiences you had in your pre-keto life.

Hope you enjoyed your initiation to the world of keto eating, as it will allow you to prepare dishes in the ensuing months with much more ease…!

Let’s Start Cooking…

Everything you need to put together the dishes outlined above can be found below. As you go and gain more confidence in the keto kitchen, feel free to modify ingredients or their amounts, but always, ALWAYS check the labels for total carbs per serving.

Remember, net carbs = total carbs – fiber, and your totals for the day should always fall below 20 grams, lest you risk breaking the ketosis system that you will be painstakingly constructing for yourself over the next several weeks. Happy cooking!

Combine almond flour, flax, psyllium, spices, coconut milk and lemon juice together in a bowl. While you cook the bacon, allow this mixture to set and incorporate itself with each other.

Set the rangetop to medium low, cooking the strips of bacon until they achieve a crispy consistency. At the same time, set your oven to preheat up to 350 degrees Fahrenheit for when the mixture and bacon is ready to be baked into muffins. Once it appears that the bacon is almost finished, add butter to the pan.

Dice up the spring onions and shred the Colby Jack, adding them and the baking powder to the mixture you left in the bowl. Crumble up the prepared bacon, adding it, the melted butter, and all the fat from the pan into the bowl.

Slice an avocado in two, core it, then cube it while it is in its shell. Scoop out the end result and gently add it into the mixture.

Grease up a muffin tray prior to pouring batter into each of the compartments and bake for 24 minutes.

Cut two strips of bacon in half, spreading the four pieces over the base of the bacon mold (click on the link to get this gadget) in order to form the bottom of the bowl, making sure to overlap pieces to achieve a leak proof design.

Firmly wind the third strip around the base to create the side

Bake mold for 18 minutes or until it has achieved a crispy consistency.

While the bowl is baking in the oven, prepare scrambled eggs as you normally would.

Slice the bacon into little ribbons, cutting against grain in the process.

Set your rangetop to medium, melting your butter in a big skillet.

Once it has liquified, add the vegetable ingredients and bacon and saute them together for, stirring frequently. When your bacon starts to get crispy along the edges and the veggies start to caramelize, it’s finished.

Smooth the batter over the pan in equal proportion, creating a well in each quarter segment.

Season the chicken with chili powder, and place them on a foiled cookie sheet.

Cook in oven for 50 minutes.

While you wait, put two tablespoons olive oil in a pot, heating it over medium high heat. Once hot, add chicken bones into the oil. Let them cook for five minutes, adding the broth afterward. Season with salt and pepper to your liking.

Once the chicken is out of the oven, take the skin off the meat and set them aside. Drizzle the fat from the foil tray into the broth pot, stirring as you go.

Combine all the ingredients for the BBQ sauce in a mixing bowl and mix for several minutes until they have come together nicely.

Add the sauce to the broth pot and stir well. Simmer for a half an hour.

Using an immersion blender, emulsify the fats and liquids together.

Shred the chicken thighs and add them to the broth. Continue simmering for another twenty minutes.

Split apart the Spaghetti Squash with care, laying them face down in a large Pyrex dish and then fill the dish with water until the meaty part of the squash is submerged.

Cook for 45 minutes. When you can pick apart the surface with a fork, it’s done.

While you are waiting on the latter, Add the ground beef to a pan and brown it, and then stir in marinara sauce and heat the mixture until hot

Once your spaghetti squash is ready, don heat resistant gloves and use a fork to scrap the flesh of the squash so that you can form spaghetti from it.

Put together the lasagna in a large buttered pan. Start off with a layer of spaghetti squash, followed by the meat sauce, then slices of mozzarella, then ricotta, repeating this sequence until you are out of food.

Pop the dish into the oven for 35 minutes. Once the liquids are bubbling and the cheese is turning golden brown, your keto lasagna is ready!

Meter out all spices into small bowls so they are ready to use as you need them.

Slice and chop all vegetables.

Let the bone broth come to room temperature.

Heat a saucepan on high with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Once ready, saute the veggies until you san begin to smell the aromas rising from the mix.

Slice the pork shoulder into small hunks.

Put bone broth, chicken broth, and the coffee to your slow cooker, along with the pork, button mushrooms, spices and veggies. Combine them together until well mixed, put on the cover, and set on low for eight hours.

Bake all the above meatballs for 25 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Create noodles from the Spaghetti squash, adding 100 grams to each Rubbermaid container, followed by one meatball from each meat type, two ounces of sauce, finishing it with a teaspoon of freshly ground Parmesan cheese.

Heat rangetop to medium, melting two tablespoons of butter and sauteing onions, tarragon and garlic until they are soft, removing them from the pan … set aside.

Add two more tablespoons of butter to your skillet and melt them on low. Add wine and combine until integrated, then bring in the cream cheese and stir it in until it melts. Finally, add the cream and spices and combine until it is evenly distributed.

Heat up the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, buttering up a pyrex dish with the remaining tablespoon of butter while you wait.

Add chicken broth into baking dish once greasing is complete.

Layer the base of the dish with the chicken.

Make the onion mix the second layer, and the cream mix the third layer … be sure to smooth them over the surface of the dish evenly.

Once the oven is ready, bake the dish at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for at least 45 minutes.

In a dish, add the grated Parmigiano Reggiano, almond flour, baking powder and curry powder, combining until all ingredients have blended together well.

Add the egg and water and combine.

Bring a station on your range top to medium with a pan on top. Once heat is rising off the surface of the pan, add in the coconut oil and once it is hot, take the shrimps and coat it in the batter bowl, proceeding to fry them in the pan with no more than three at once.

Once they are golden brown, remove them from the skillet and cool them on a rack.

Heat a separate pan on another station on your rangetop at medium-low heat. Add butter, and once it has melted, throw in the chopped onions.

When the onion has begun to turn clear, add in the garlic, Thai chilies, and curry leaves. Stir-fry together until wonderful smells fill the kitchen.

Reduce heat on the stove to low. Pour in Heavy Cream and the cheddar. Stir until the sauce thickens.

Keep the steaks in there for twelve minutes for those that like their meat medium rare. Be sure to flip halfway through, keeping them in longer for meat that is closer to well done and shorter for steak that is bloodier.

Set aside, covering them in foil.

Add port to the skillet to deglaze, being sure to scrape the leftover bits of meat up so that it can become part of the pan sauce.

Add in mushrooms and cream, then if you are up for it, light on fire and flambe the mixture.

When the sauce has reached its desired thickness, pour it over your steak

Rinse the chicken thighs, pay dry with a paper towel, then tear the skin of the thighs away from one edge.

Under each skin on the thigh, stuff a lemon slice, thyme leaf, and wedge of butter. Season the thighs evenly with salt and pepper.

In an oven-friendly skillet, sear the chicken thighs in olive oil (when the oil is smoking, add the chicken) over medium heat on the range.

After about six minutes, the thighs should be evenly browned. Remove from the pan to a plate for the time being.

Wash potatoes and cut into two inch cubes. Toss them into the skillet with the garlic cloves and season with the desired amount of salt and pepper.

Fry them for three minutes, giving it a stir halfway through.

Stick the browned chicken thighs over the top of the potatoes and garlic, then stick the pan into the oven for fifteen minutes.

Pull apart broccoli into florets about an inch in size. Take pan out of oven (don’t forget your oven mitts!) and take the chicken out of the pan for a second as you add and stir in the broccoli to the veg mix below.

Place the chicken back on top and return it to the oven for ten more minutes.

After that baking cycle has been completed, heat up the broiler, and once it is ready, stick the pan underneath it for no more than five minutes. When the chicken skin and potatoes gets crispy and the broccoli starts to turn brown, take it out.

Divide food between two plates and garnish with any remaining lemon … enjoy your dinner!